


surveillance: the seduction of general hux

by AJLynne



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, First Order Politics (Star Wars), Hux likes to watch, Loss of Virginity, POV Armitage Hux, Post TLJ, Voyeurism, surveillance kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-24 12:01:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20705657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJLynne/pseuds/AJLynne
Summary: Suspicious when Kylo Ren repeatedly disappears from the First Order fleet, General Hux sends a surveillance droid to tail the Supreme Leader out into the galaxy. When the droid sends back intimate footage of Ren and their supposed enemy - the Resistance Jedi Rey - Hux hatches a plan to expose the Supreme Leader and ascend to his place. But the footage unsettles Hux in unforeseen ways, leading to an encounter that challenges his deep-seated ambitions.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> This is a re-post of a fic that I'd posted several months ago then taken down. Several people have inquired about it, and so I'm tossing it out into the world again. Thanks so much to those who asked... writer's insecurity is a real thing.
> 
> This fic was inspired by glimpses of Hux's tortured upbringing as seen in the Aftermath and Phasma books. It was written before the Hux comic made us all feel a little bad for the guy and wonder if maybe... just maybe... Huxdemption might be a possibility. Anyway, if you don't like Hux or feel squicky about the idea of a Hux sex scene, this might not be the story for you. But if you do read, please let me know what you think!
> 
> (I'm intending to post all 3 chapters tonight, but if I get tired I'll post the rest tomorrow.)

  
Armitage Hux stood alone before the main viewport of the Star Destroyer Finalizer. He held his usual pose: hands clasped tightly behind a perfectly straight back. No outward cues of his excitement showed as he stared out - not at the green and brown planet Drongar below, where several elite stormtrooper teams were currently staging an operation - but at the sector of his ship where the main hangar doors opened into space.

Finally, he saw it. A lone starfighter departed, its distinctive angular profile barely visible against the endless black. Hux felt his pulse spike as the Tie Silencer hung for a moment - a shadow suspended in space - before vanishing with a flash of hyperspace trail.

He wouldn’t smile; there were always curious and calculating eyes on the command bridge. And too many variables remained, too many ways in which this could fail. But… Hux had a feeling, a new and exhilarating sense of inevitability that tried to turn the corners of his lip upward. He carefully neutralized his expression.

That smile would come soon enough, when Kylo Ren was dead at his feet.

  
*

  
4 hours later…

  
“I would expect troops of this level to have more stamina. And I’d certainly expect their commander to strictly follow procedure rather than inserting her own judgment and endangering our objectives.”

Hux opened his mouth to reply then closed it again. He again kept his posture straight and his countenance impassive despite an overwhelming urge to roll his eyes. This argument had gone on for too long, but the officer standing in front of him was nothing if not persistent.  
  
“They should all be disciplined to the strictest measure allowed,” the young man finished, his own stance equally erect and his face set with confidence despite having been shot down on this point a half dozen times already.

Hux held his gaze for a long moment before saying flatly, “Sir.”

The officer blinked, the arrogance in his icy blue eyes giving way to puzzlement. “I’m sorry?”

Hux felt his nostrils flare as he forced himself to inhale slowly. “You will address me as ‘Sir’ or ‘General’ at all times. I would expect that someone so well-versed in _procedures_ and regulations would be more careful in that regard.”

The cold silence lasted a beat too long. Then, “Of course, sir. My apologies… _General_.” Lieutenant Lewis Canady, recognizing defeat, bowed stiffly then turned to stride off the command bridge… but not before flashing a glare toward the stormtrooper captain who had been silently awaiting the discussion’s outcome.  
  
Hux turned to the trooper but waited to speak until Canady was out of sight. He cast a careful glance around, noticing which personnel might be within earshot; Canady may have been new to the officer corps on the Finalizer, but the young man was charismatic and well-connected with those who had known or admired his famous father. But whereas Moden Canady had held honor above all else, his son was not above employing questionable tactics - spies being the least of them - to further his own interests.

Ambitious… like himself. Set on continuing a family legacy of First Order leadership, also like himself. But Hux felt no kinship with the man based on these commonalities, only animosity and distrust. So much so that he’d recently begun to wonder whom he disliked more: Lewis Canady or Kylo Ren.

Hux finally turned his attention to the stormtrooper captain, whose soot-streaked helmet was tucked under an arm as she stood at silent attention. The woman’s cropped black hair was matted with sweat, her eyes red-rimmed from exposure to smoke and ship exhaust. Keeping his voice firm but low, Hux stepped close and addressed her.

“The mission objective was achieved, Captain Tylnae?” He already knew the answer but wanted her to expound without constant interjections of Canady’s opinion.

She nodded, her bearing sharp despite evident fatigue. “Yes, General. We contained the uprising. The enemy base was eliminated.”

He’d seen the preliminary reports but pressed on. “Resistance?”

“We had thought so, sir. But it became evident that this was a cartel militia masquerading as Resistance fighters to earn the locals’ trust while they scouted for a slaving operation.”

Hux smirked. “Bad luck for them that we fell for their ruse.”

“Indeed, sir.”

Hux had little interest in the operations of a minor crime cartel, but exposing the local population as rebel sympathizers… Yes, the mission had been a success, but as Lt. Canady had pointed out, not a complete one. He stepped even closer to the captain, forcing her to tilt her head up to look into his face. “When the militia dispersed into the city, you opted to pursue on foot rather than call in air support.”

Dark brown eyes flashed. “The city center was fogged in, sir, with near zero visibility and multiple tall structures. Less than ideal conditions for an air assault, General.”

“And then you broke off the pursuit.” He kept his tone severe, hoping to provoke a reaction.

But the captain retained her mask of calm. Tylnae wouldn’t have risen so quickly in the ranks - and to a position high enough that she was allowed a name rather than the assigned number - if she’d lacked discipline and self-control. “There were few enemy fighters left, General, and I assessed that those who remained were attempting to draw us into an ambush.”

Hux stayed quiet for a moment, more out of habit than necessity. Usually, he enjoyed making his underlings squirm while they awaited his judgment. But this woman just stared back at him. Not insolent, but… calculating. As though she was judging him as well.

The feeling was uncomfortable, yet oddly thrilling. Hux started to shift on his feet, then caught himself.

“Your assessment was correct,” he finally said, now allowing his voice to carry so that others nearby might hear. “Our secondary teams located two heavily fortified positions within a kilometer of your egress point. If you’d continued your pursuit, you and your entire squad would have been obliterated.”

A raised eyebrow was the trooper’s only response. She continued staring at him until he realized that he needed to either ask a question or dismiss her.  
  
He jerked his chin. “That is all, Captain.”

“Thank you, General.”  
  
She left, her strides heavy and unhurried, just as a junior officer approached. Lieutenant Lank Paze - one of Hux’s closest loyalists - stopped at his shoulder.

“Sir.” Lt. Paze’s voice was barely a murmur. “The transmission you’ve been awaiting has commenced.”

Hux forced himself to pause and take a breath even as his heart began racing. He nodded briskly. Business as usual, or so it would appear to any onlookers. “I’ll take it in my quarters. Lock the channel.”

“Already done, sir.”

It took all of his self-control not to run through the corridors. He hadn’t expected this for at least another hour. Perhaps Ren was finally getting sloppy, not bothering to take the time to cover his tracks. Hux held in his smile as he punched the door code and slid inside his personal chambers.

He ignored his regular workstation and instead crossed into his bedroom to retrieve a datapad from a hidden panel at the back of his wardrobe. His foot tapped, and Hux chewed on his lip as he quickly navigated security screens that he himself had programmed but were now a time-wasting nuisance…

_Ah, there…_ Hux was barely aware of sitting down on the edge of his bed as the screen flashed with a bit of static and then steadied to show a clearing in a densely green forest. He had to blink several times as the image swerved this way and that, his prototype surveillance droid darting between tree trunks and around the high canopy as it zeroed in on its target…

Hux couldn’t help his snort as the image zoomed in to show Kylo Ren shifting branches and leaves to cover the fuselage of an unfamiliar small starfighter that nestled into the forest floor. Nearby, he could just barely make out the similarly camouflaged outline of a Tie-Silencer… not Ren’s usual ship, but one of a half dozen that the manufacturer had recently supplied for testing. Ships that, conveniently, had not yet been outfitted with tracking devices. Ren had been taking the test fighters on increasingly longer and more frequent forays, ostensibly gathering data on their systems and performance. But Hux had his hunches about the true nature of the Supreme Leader’s absences, so he’d been quietly working with a single sequestered engineer on new technology of his own…

This was the third droid he had sent out. The first was either too large or too noisy, and Ren had somehow detected it; Hux had barely had time to crash it into a river and activate the self-destruct mechanism. The second had gotten close, undetected, but the audio and visual sensors had been scrambled by a small electromagnetic shield that someone had deployed above the area.

But this droid… he could see a shield generator now and realized that the flash of static he’d seen had been the droid passing through the barrier… and it was still functioning perfectly. He turned up the volume on his datapad and could hear insects buzzing and leaves rustling as wind blew through the trees. He saw Ren, his face set with a rarely-seen calm, adjusting the final branches to cover the starfighter’s gleaming hull.

The surveillance droid - barely the size of a fingernail and equipped with the smallest cloaking device ever made - circled the area, matching the speed and flight patterns of the local insects. Hux didn’t control its flight, trusting the programming to take it where he needed it to go…

… which was apparently was going to be inside a portable shelter that had been set up a short distance from the ships. Colored to blend in and large enough that Ren should be able to stand inside, it was not First Order issued equipment. Its origin became clear a moment later when the door flap opened and a young woman emerged.

Hux’s knuckles went white as he clutched the datapad, his mind blanking of anything other than the glorious bliss of pure triumph. This image alone would give him the ammunition, every bit of proof that he needed. He held his breath as the Jedi known as Rey crossed to Kylo Ren and slid a hand up onto his shoulder. The woman who was their most-wanted target, who had killed Supreme Leader Snoke and was prominent within the small yet troublesome Resistance… Hux watched, his smile growing as Ren turned and snaked his arms around the girl’s waist, then buried his face in her hair.

Already, it was enough. He could withdraw the droid now, show this video to the relevant officers, and have Kylo Ren arrested the moment he set foot back on the Finalizer. There would be carnage, as Ren undoubtedly would not go quietly. But with an entire ship - the entire Order - against him, there would be no escape. Likely he wouldn’t survive capture, but if he did, the execution would be swift and brutal. Hux could ascend to his rightful place within the day.

The pleasure of these fantasies - soon to be truths - left him giddy and inattentive, until the sound of Ren’s voice abruptly drew his attention back to the screen.

“I’m sorry I was delayed.” Though Ren’s face was still pressed against the Jedi’s hair, the audio came through crisp and clear. Hux made a note that his pet engineer was due substantial reward.

The Jedi pulled back, a smile on her face. Hux considered for a moment whether he thought her plain or pretty, then decided it didn’t matter as she responded, “Was it a long journey to get here from the Finalizer?”

Her tone was teasing, and Ren tipped his head down and narrowed his eyes. She laughed. So this was a game they played, trying to get the other to divulge information. If he recorded Ren giving anything away, even a vague location of their fleet…

But Ren just ran his hand down her arm and entwined his fingers with hers. He towered over the girl, his eyes intense despite the small smile on his lips. “It always seems too long,” he said, using his free hand to brush a strand of hair away from her face.

The first curls of disgust roiled in Hux’s gut as he watched his long-held suspicions confirmed. He would almost be able to respect - or at least understand - the idea of switching allegiances based on convictions or duty. But there was no honor to this. The Supreme Leader would betray the First Order because of… What? Love? Lust? Whichever it was, it exemplified the worst kind of weakness. But he had always known that Kylo Ren was weak, at least in the ways that mattered.

His finger, which had been hovering over the control that would extract the droid, withdrew. Every minute of this transmission gave him another meter of rope with which he could hang Ren when the time came. Hux settled back and continued to watch.

“Are you hungry?” Ren asked, his fingers continuing to trace the side of the Jedi’s face.

She stepped into him and went up on her toes. “Not yet.”

The kiss went on interminably, a mashing of faces and hands and bodies that turned the stomach. The noises were even worse: groans and gasps of breath whenever their lips became momentarily unstuck. Hux watched disinterestedly as Ren lifted the girl up and her legs wrapped around his waist. But as he began carrying her toward the shelter, Hux sat up straight. What would the droid do? He could override the auto-control, but the engineer had cautioned him to do so only as a last resort…

The screen image swooped with dizzying speed as the droid sped forward and down, and with the abrupt change in perspective it took a moment for Hux to realize that it had attached itself to the back of Ren’s pants, somewhere behind his knee. There were several seconds where the the droid was carried forward with each stride, then the image darkened as they entered the shelter and the flap closed behind them.

Hux cursed softly, hopeful yet apprehensive. The likelihood of detection increased in an enclosed space. The droid was entirely silent, but Hux was still grateful when he heard a light pattering sound against the coated fabric of the shelter. It had begun to rain. He could still withdraw the droid if need be, but it would be trickier. Best to stay put for now, then.

Whatever the droid was sensing prompted it to remain in place for a long minute, and so Hux could only see the walls of the tent as Kylo Ren moved about, wet sounds indicating that the kissing had continued unabated. Hux considered lowering the volume but didn’t want to miss any conversation, so with a heavy sigh he leaned against his pillows, gritting his teeth at the thought of enduring what was to come.

There was a muffled shuffling of fabric, then the screen abruptly went black. Hux felt a flash of panic before he realized that Ren had simply removed his pants, dropping them in a pile that left the droid’s sensors covered. After another minute’s pause, the droid was moving again, making its way slowly through the folds of fabric until Hux had a clear view of the darkened tent’s interior. And what he saw froze him in place.

Apparently it was too much to hope that Ren and the Jedi would talk anymore. At least not until they’d subjected him to… this. Both were in their underclothes now, the girl going to her knees in front of Ren, whose back was to the droid. Her hand reached up toward the waistband of his briefs, and before her head disappeared from Hux’s view he saw her dark eyes lift and her lips part. Hux felt his own pulse spike, felt the heat in his cheeks that meant he’d gone bright red. A second later Ren jerked with a whispered curse, the broad muscles of his back and legs going taut as his hands reached in front, presumably to hold the girl’s head.

Hux looked away, looked back at the screen, looked away again. He didn’t need to watch this. It had no bearing on his plans, other than to graphically detail the extent of Ren’s treason. Nudity repelled him; the few times he’d encountered it - in the medbay, on primitive planets - had been moments to endure and then forget. He’d always thought the naked body to be somewhat distasteful, the reproductive apparatus ugly in its hairy functionality.

He had never embraced another human being. Had never even considered attempting sex.

To see this now was… a shock. It would have been so even if these were two strangers that he was watching. But to see the Supreme Leader exposed in this way… Kylo Ren, always draped in layers of head-to-toe black, who until recently kept even his head and face covered by that ridiculous helmet. Who was now stripped down, exposed, his body seeming somehow even larger without the trappings of cape and uniform. Hux watched the ripple of muscles in the low light, from Ren’s shoulders down his back, through clenched ass cheeks to the backs of his thighs. His head was bowed, a low rumbling issuing from his throat as the Jedi moved in front of him. Hux’s fingers drifted to the datapad, intending to direct the droid to move around to where he’d be able to see-

He jerked his fingers back and looked away from the screen again. He was no voyeur. Well, he might be at the moment, but that certainly wasn’t the point of this operation.

A feminine gasp brought his eyes back. Ren was now on his knees as well, his arms going around the girl as his mouth latched onto her breast. Her slim fingers dug into Ren’s shoulders in a way that looked painful. Hux’s eyes narrowed. That idea, at least, had some appeal. Pain mixing with pleasure. His own body began to heat up, to tense inside and below, and with a scowl he dug his own fingernails into his palm until he nearly broke the skin. There… better. Pain he could understand. Pain was a release.

With a growl, Ren tossed the Jedi down onto the sleeping pad, causing the heat between Hux’s legs to flare. He no longer averted his eyes, his disgust melting into grim, calculating fascination as he watched Ren slide down and pull off the girl’s underclothes. Hux was familiar with the basic process, so he fully expected Ren to simply align himself and, well, fuck. But Ren moved further down instead, licking up the insides of the girl’s thighs. Hux froze again. He couldn’t possibly intend to-

The Jedi cried out, the sound clear and loud through the datapad speaker, and Hux hurriedly lowered the volume as he glanced around. Of course no one could hear, but he didn’t want to take the chance that…

_Damn._ The image on the screen locked him in place again, and Hux forgot about coups and treason, momentarily forgot even his own ambition as his eyes darted around, not knowing where to look. The girl was writhing, her mouth slightly open and her head thrown back, while Ren pressed open her thighs with his overlarge hands and worked her with his tongue. One hand let go and slid out of view, and though Hux didn’t have the angle to see, he knew exactly what was happening when the girl moaned and began to rock rhythmically against the fingers that Ren now had between her legs. She was whimpering, panting a name. “Ben, Ben.” Over and over again. “Ben.”

Perfect. Centered again, Hux smiled, listening to the name that would damn Ren in the eyes of the First Order, coming from the lips of their sworn enemy. Kylo Ren may have been the Supreme Leader, but Ben Solo was a child of rebels… and now, a traitor. Here was irrefutable proof that Ren had again - at least in part - embraced that forbidden identity.

Hux continued to watch with a growing sense of heated satisfaction. He didn’t understand the purpose of joy; happiness was a foreign and ridiculous concept. But this feeling of a well-planned, technologically innovative operation coming to such spectacular fruition, mixed with vindication that was years overdue… he couldn’t deny the visceral pleasure of it. Ren had underestimated him, time and again, and would now - finally - pay the ultimate price.

So it was appropriate, perhaps, to see the Supreme Leader stripped down - literally and figuratively - in this way. Hux found himself observing Ren as much as he watched the girl… more, perhaps. He had to appreciate the sheer power of the man. Ren used his strength and bulk for intimidation, and - appropriately - for advantage in battle. But to see him like this, pressing the Jedi deep into the sleeping pad, finally driving hard into her as he pinned her wrists over her head while they both cried out… It was more arousing than he felt comfortable acknowledging. Especially as his sharp eyes noted the push and pull of it, the small struggles for dominance and control between the two of them. The girl twisted her wrists away and pulled Ren’s hair. He bit her breast and she scratched her nails down his back. She nearly turned him over, but he flipped her back down, hard.

But for every small hurt there was a subtle tenderness, too. A lick after a bite. A cradling of her head when he tossed her down. Brief moments of eye contact where they seemed to be checking in, asking and answering. It was an interesting dynamic. One that would have taken time to build. Hux narrowed his eyes, calculating. How many encounters had there been? He was aware of only five. There may have been dozens of others.

Pursuing the Resistance these last months had been like chasing ghosts. There was no shortage of leads, but Leia Organa and her little band had stayed just a step ahead. As if someone had been tipping them off. Captain Peavey and the other officers were bewildered, frustrated. They would be unforgiving upon learning who had betrayed them.

Hux scowled. He still had no steel-clad proof of that. Their brief pre-sex conversation had been too vague and evasive.

Back on his screen, the Jedi had finally gotten the upper hand. Ren was on his back, and she rode him in long rocking motions as his fingers dug into her hips. They stared at each other through glazed, half-closed eyes. Both were sheened in sweat, and Hux suddenly noticed that the transmitted image had a slight haze distorting it. He cursed again. The heat and moisture the two of them were generating, along with the seeping rain, had fogged the sensor lens. He wasn’t sure he could direct the droid in a way to wipe it off.

But… perhaps it didn’t matter. The girl gasped, biting her lip and reaching down to touch herself as Ren pushed up into her, hard, his face tightening. “Fuck, Rey-” Then they were both jerking and clutching each other and crying out, and this time Hux didn’t look away, didn’t even think to as she collapsed onto him and the image went a bit hazier.

The audio worked fine, though, and Hux kept his own tense body very still as he listened to them breathe for a long minute until finally…

“Ben?”

“Hmmmm?”

“The natives on Argazda are planning to overrun the First Order installation there.”

Hux turned the volume up to full.

There was a moment of silence, then, “When, and why?”

A quiet snort. “The ‘why’ should be obvious. But it’ll be within two days.”

Ren was stroking a hand across her hip, staring at the ceiling. “We’ll send troops to contain it.”

She tilted her head to look at him. “Evacuate the base. Save your people. You have no reason to be there anyway.”

“None that you know.” He looked back at her, then sighed. “We’ll evacuate the installation.”

“Good.” She still looked at him, finally going up on one elbow to stare down into his face. Hux’s gut tightened as he realized what she was waiting for.

Finally… “We’ve cracked the shield codes for the base you’re building on Lothal,” Ren said quietly.

Hux nearly dropped the data pad as he jumped to his feet, his fist curling in fury and triumph.

The Jedi gasped. “We haven’t even started-”

“And we’re already aware of it.”

“Shit.”

Ren just shrugged and wrapped his huge arms around her. Hux could only see their fuzzy outlines now through the fogged lens of the surveillance droid. He waited, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. But the silence went on for several minutes.

“Sleep or food?” Ren finally mumbled.

“Hmmm….” Was the only answer that came, and Hux watched for several more minutes, his mind racing, before he convinced himself that they had indeed fallen asleep, and no more would be said for some time.

He set the data pad down with trembling hands, then stood and stared at it. His entire body vibrated with rage, with ecstasy, with… something… something exhilarating and unfamiliar.

He had everything he needed. _More_ than everything. The extent of Kylo Ren’s treason shocked even him. The Supreme Leader had betrayed the First Order for a girl, for a fuck.

Hux paused and closed his eyes, finally acknowledging that which had been a tangential distraction for many minutes now: he was physically, painfully, enormously aroused. It was to be expected, an unavoidable biological response to what he had just witnessed. But combined with this success, with his pending ascension to the role he’d always been destined for… it was too much. His body felt primed, ready for… something.

He was disoriented and unsettled, which was unacceptable. He had more self-control than this. But it had become hard to think. Hux stood still in the middle of his room, every movement causing fabric to brush against the erection that had turned his hip-flare trousers into a distinct front-flare.

He could take himself in hand. Self-stimulation was probably the premier pastime in the First Order, though of course no one would admit it. He’d indulged occasionally as a younger man; but once Snoke was in the picture - reading minds and exploiting weaknesses - he’d learned to restrain himself. And now… it just seemed undignified. Something he had grown above.

But even the thought of it left him unsatisfied. Angry, even. Kylo Ren allowed himself to shrug off his Supreme Leader mantle and do what he wanted… to take who he wanted, even if it was the galaxy’s last, elusive, and (fine, he’d admit it) beautiful Jedi. Hux could still see it in his mind’s eye: the slick skin and open mouths and two bodies pressed together, grasping and moving and fucking. He simply had no idea what any of that would feel like. How a person could be that close, that vulnerable with another human without revulsion or fear.

But Ren _should_ be afraid. Hux once again felt the curl of a smile as a plan for capture took shape in his mind. It wouldn’t be something so simple as an ambush with blasters and canons. He would bring him down in a way that Ren knew that it was Hux who had gotten him.

He wanted to look into Kylo Ren’s eyes as he died.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're still with me, thank you! Time for Hux to get down and dirty. Again, if that offends your sensibilities... don't read this crazy fic! I will post the third and final chapter tomorrow. Thanks for reading!!

  
After thirty minutes of tossing and turning, Hux gave up any hope of sleeping. He slid out of bed and began pacing yet again. A very cold shower had neutralized the bothersome physical arousal, but there was little he could do to banish the continuous mental replay of what he’d seen… or the unsettled feelings it had generated.

The datapad remained on; he checked it obsessively. Its fogged-over transmission showed no movement and emitted no sound other than the patter of rain and the occasional deep-in-sleep breath. After some hesitation, Hux pressed the sequence to place the droid under manual control. The image immediately lurched as the droid went airborne and flew past the two sleeping bodies to impact the shelter’s canvas with a soft thud. Cursing, Hux forced himself to keep his adjustments small, tweaking the controls until the droid was again stationary and nestled in a high corner. He rotated it slowly, rubbing the lens against coarse fabric until the image had cleared, then turned it back toward Ren and the Jedi. He allowed himself to breathe again as he saw that neither had moved, and so he reinstated the auto-control and settled back, rubbing his eyes.

It felt like a peculiar kind of madness, staring at a small screen as his emotions cycled from triumph to rage and everything in between. Hux absently picked up his holster, fingering his blaster as he glanced at the door then back at the datapad. His rooms felt overly small, too tight to contain the manic energy he felt rolling off himself in waves. Finally he pursed his lips and began to dress. Lt. Paze was monitoring the transmission as well, and would alert him if anything were to happen. Right now he just needed some air. He needed an outlet, and he knew just the thing.

In the middle of the Finalizer’s night cycle, the corridors were mostly quiet as Hux made his way toward the weapons training area. The facilities were closed at this hour, but someone must have alerted the officer-in-charge of his approach, because the man slid into his station - still buttoning his jacket - as Hux arrived.

“Good evening, General. What can I do-”

Hux waved him off. “Just give me an F-11D rifle and… he glanced at the weapons stocks, his eyes settling on a long, dark shape with a laser scope. “…And that one.”

The man handed him the blaster in question. “The DLT-20A. A classic. Good choice, sir.”

Hux just shouldered the weapons, their heavy edges digging into his side. “Fine. No need for you to stay. Just turn on the lights and activate the targeting sims before you go.”

“Ah, sir…” The lieutenant glanced nervously toward the training area. “Someone’s already in there. Seems to be the night for off-hours training. I’ll tell her to vacate.”

“No need,” he snapped in reply. Only another officer would be training alone at midnight. Hux wanted his people sharp; if one of them was inspired to be here at this hour, he’d allow it. And if whoever it was turned out to be a nuisance, he would dismiss her himself.

He entered the brightly lit space and was immediately bombarded by the din of a blaster rifle and the roar of a Tie Fighter. Whomever was here was running a full combat sim. Scowling at the noise and at the way his fight-or-flight reflex had already set his pulse racing, Hux trudged toward the main arena. He’d dismiss this person after all and get on with his own training.

But when he reached the observation area, he paused, surprised. Someone had programmed in a new sim: an urban landscape, heavily populated, obscured by fog. As he watched, enemy rebels converged on a small structure just as an X-Wing skimmed overhead. A stormtrooper, the only real entity within the arena, rolled out from behind cover, shouldered a surface-to-air missile launcher, and took down the X-Wing as the rebels opened fire. The trooper took a hit and went down, but rolled and fired, taking out the rebels with four precise shots as civilians rushed away screaming. The area cleared, and the trooper, still on the ground, barked a command. The sim disappeared as though it was never there, the noise and fog cutting out abruptly.

“Shit. Shit, shit.” The trooper shook out her arm. Simulator blasters did not injure, but they still caused substantial pain.

Hux smirked and stepped forward. “Captain Tylnae.”

The trooper shot up and stood at attention. “General Hux.”

He stopped in front of her and raised his eyebrows. “Rehashing today’s events?”

A curt nod. “Exploring all possible scenarios, sir.”  
  
He could hear her panting hard inside her mask. “Second guessing your decisions after all?”

“No, sir.”

She spoke deliberately, her voice dripping confidence, and Hux felt his smirk tighten. “At ease, Captain. And remove your helmet.”

She did so but remained in place. Her short hair was mussed, and a trickle of sweat ran down her temple. Her clear brown eyes initially locked onto his but then traveled to the weapons he carried. She blinked.

He was more than adept at reading small expressions. “Surprised by something, Captain?”

“Respectfully, General, I’ve never seen you fire a blaster.”

There was no derision in her tone, but he felt defensive regardless. “One must be ready for - as you said - all possible scenarios.”

The corner of her mouth lifted just slightly. Something about the way her lower lip puffed out reminded him of something…

Kylo Ren had that same full lip, that same expression when he’d looked at the Jedi and held back a smile. Hux felt a dizzying surge of pleasure at the reminder of what he’d accomplished tonight, at what he’d seen and recorded, at the imminent change in leadership-

“General?”

He had been staring for probably too long, straight at her mouth. Hux cleared his throat. “I only plan to get some targeting practice tonight. I just feel like-” He stopped himself from rambling on and felt his cheeks redden.

But she finished for him. “You just feel like shooting something.” Her expression expressed understanding, along with a hint of surprise and amusement. “Sir,” she added, almost as an afterthought.

“Indeed,” he mumbled, nodding a dismissal as he turned on his heel and stalked to a far corner of the facility, where a smaller arena waited with the targeting simulation loaded and ready, per his instructions.

He started with the F11-D, a fairly standard blaster rifle with a satisfying kick. Targeting sims wouldn’t fire back, but he donned a visor to shield his eyes from his own blasts. He took a position and began the simulation. His first shot missed and he swore, willing himself to focus. The next one hit, and then he was in a groove, making one kill after another, watching the projections dressed in rebel clothing evade and fall, fire and fall, run and fall. The rifle grew hot in his hands. His shoulders began to ache. The rebels kept coming, and he dropped them all, most of his shots landing right between their eyes or between their shoulder blades.

Finally, as the sim cycled through its fourth repeat, he halted it. His arms quivered and his mouth had gone dry. As he set down the rifle and pushed up his visor, he heard the sound of soft, slow clapping behind him. Hux spun around.

Captain Tylnae sat on a nearby crate. She’d removed her armor and wore just the standard black trooper bodysuit. Her substantial curves made the suit seem immodest, though it covered her from neck to foot.

“Nice shooting, General,” she said, inclining her head respectfully.

Hux glanced at the water bottle by her side, wishing he’d brought his own. “You were skeptical,” he answered, wiping his forehead on his sleeve. He disliked sweating.

“Apologies, sir, but you’re known as a tactician, not a fighter.” She stood, and Hux realized he was getting more of an eyeful of female anatomy tonight than he’d had in his entire life. But whereas the Jedi had been tall and lean, Tylnae was short and solid. The bodysuit hid nothing. She stepped toward him and the muscles in her legs rippled, graceful and powerful.

He shifted on his feet and looked back at her face. She wore a smirk that probably matched his own usual expression, though there was a spark in her dark eyes he hadn’t seen before. She cocked her head and held out her water bottle. “Thirsty, General?”

There was something being said here, a subtext that was obvious yet unfamiliar. His body, which had already cycled through arousal and back again tonight, responded to whatever that look meant. Hoping that she thought his blush was solely due to exertion, he accepted the water and drank deeply.

Tylnae’s gaze settled on the bench behind him. “You have another weapon.”

He looked back at the DLT-20A. A classic, the duty officer had called it. Probably a polite way of saying ‘obsolete.’ “To be honest,” he admitted, “I’ve never fired that blaster before. I just liked the look of it.”

She laughed softly, and the sound had an unwelcome effect in the pit of his stomach. The sensation only increased as she reached past him, pausing for a moment to ask, “May I, General?”

He swallowed. “Of course.”

Tylnae picked up the blaster and ran her hands over its mechanisms with practiced ease. “It’s actually a favorite of mine,” she murmured, fingering the barrel and making a small adjustment to the rangefinder. “Unparalleled long-range accuracy. Extra adhesive material here,” she caressed the handle then closed her fist around it. “Makes for an especially tight grip.”

Hux bit his lip. This wasn’t a game he knew how to play. It wasn’t a game either of them should play, considering the regulations strictly forbidding certain… activities between officers. But his body betrayed him, and he heard himself saying, “Perhaps you could show me how it’s done, Captain.”

She glanced up, and he was acutely aware of how close they were. Of how tall he stood over her.

“It’d be my pleasure, General.” Tylnae cocked her head and then stepped toward the arena floor, addressing a command to the simulator controls. The holo sprang to life: a wide-open landscape of waterways flowing through small islands and stands of trees. Rebel fighters appeared, careening toward them on aquatic speeders. Tylnae took up a semi-crouched position and opened fire. Hux watched with increasing delight as the rebels were blasted off their speeders one by one, many disappearing with a satisfying splash and others splattering into rocks or vegetation. There was not a single errant shot, even as the remaining enemies attempted to flee and were picked off, the last catching a bolt to the back that had him flipping through the air and crashing back into his speeder before the sim vanished.

Tylnae stood and slowly lowered the rifle, staring straight at him. Hux had already clasped his hands in front of him. He was fully aroused; the merciless display of firepower pushing him closer to an edge that he’d already been fast approaching. Pulse pounding in his ears, he raised his chin and tried to keep his voice level. “You’re a talented woman, Captain Tylnae.”

Her eyes sparked again, her stance shifting just slightly. “My talents are at your disposal, General Hux.”

He stayed still, no longer even trying to pretend that he wasn’t staring at her body. He could still pull back from this. Neither of them had yet defied any regulations, crossed any forbidden lines.

She held his eyes a moment longer before extending the blaster toward him. “Care for a turn, sir?”

Hux felt his whole body vibrating. “I’m afraid my skills would hardly compare to yours.”

“Never know until you try.” She grinned. “Sir.”

He closed the few steps between them and paused, then took the rifle from her hands. She didn’t step away, but instead pivoted with him toward the arena. “Same simulation?” she asked.

“I take it it’s your favorite?” he responded, acutely aware of the warmth radiating from her as she positioned behind him.

He heard a soft chuckle. “Perhaps. I enjoy watching them get wet.”

Before he could respond to that, the sim cycled on, and the rebel speeders roared to life. He fumbled with the DLT-20A for a few seconds, unaccustomed to the weight and balance of it. An arm snaked under his, and Tylnae subtly adjusted his grip and moved the blaster down. “Keep it low,” she murmured from behind, her voice somehow audible over the din. Her other hand came to rest on his opposite hip, pressing slightly. “Battle stance.”

It had been years since anyone other than Snoke or Kylo Ren had dared to correct him. Hux bristled even as he admired her daring. And she was obviously right, as the weapon leveled out and his shots began to find their mark. He lacked her unerring accuracy, but soon enough all of the rebel fighters were dead, the training arena once again empty. He breathed hard into the silence. His shoulders ached, his balls - damn it - had started to ache, and he was wound even tighter than before.

Tylnae hadn’t pulled away. Hux could feel each and every place where her body touched his. Some were hard touches, like where her fingers still pressed against his hip bone. Others were soft… where her breasts lightly brushed his spine, and where one of her thighs braced against his backside.

He tried to command his body to move away, to remember that he was a highly disciplined officer and not some primal beast… but his brain was rapidly losing this battle, and all he could hear was the rush of blood in his ears.

He turned slowly toward her. Tylnae barely came up to his collarbone. She tipped up her head to stare back at him, her sarcastic smile gone. “Not bad, General,” she said softly. The hand which had been on his hip now rested on his stomach. She whispered, “So what else can you do?”

Clinging to his last shred of rational thought even as he stared at her lips, Hux found his comlink and thumbed it on. “Turn off all surveillance feeds in the main level weapons arena.” The command was unusual but well within his authority.

“Right away, General,” was the quick response that came back. Hux dropped his com onto the mat.

Tylnae raised an eyebrow, then carefully lifted the DLT-20A from his hands and stepped away to set it aside. She turned back toward him, her gaze traveling from his eyes to his feet and then back again. But she moved no closer, just placed her hands on her incredible hips, waiting.

He suddenly understood. She was his subordinate. And despite all the innuendo that had gotten them to this point, she would not move to touch him first. He felt himself smile. “Adhering to protocol, even now?”

“I do respect your authority, General,” she responded, and Hux felt a new flash of heat at hearing those words in her low, raspy voice. “This has to be your call.”

He hesitated. “I’m not… ordering… you to-”

“Acknowledged, sir. But if you did…” She deliberately slid her gaze down to where he had forgotten to conceal himself, “… I would.”

“Then come here.” The words came out as a croak, but she came to him immediately, sliding her hands up his shoulders as she went to her toes (just like the Jedi had done, the thought flashed), and Hux barely had time to close his eyes before her lips were on his. The kiss was slow and firm, and he simply followed along as his body pulsed and his arms curled around her back.  
  
He had no idea what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this… this rush of sensations that threatened to overwhelm him. He’d never been so acutely aware of his own body, his own skin. He could feel the scratch of wool where she pressed into him. The nape of his neck was amazingly sensitive, and he shivered with pleasure as her fingers trailed over and down along his collar. His hands moved of their own accord, exploring the curves of her shoulders, her back, her ass. Here he gripped hard, lifting her up, and was rewarded with a gasp and then a low growl. The sound threw down another self-imposed barrier, and then their tongues were clashing, teeth biting as he pulled her up onto him and her legs went around his waist. She was heavy, and his legs trembled, but Hux didn’t care as she ground into him. He tried to move with her, but the position wasn’t ideal.

Hux dropped to his knees and pushed her down. Tylnae lay in front of him, eyes dark and half-closed, her chest rising and falling with rapid breaths. “Take off your shirt,” he whispered, settling back on his heels, his voice as steady as it should be when giving commands.

She immediately complied, and then she removed her simple brassiere. Hux stared, his hands resting lightly on her thighs, which splayed around him. Her breasts looked heavy, her nipples velvety dark. He reached for one and cupped it lightly, feeling the skin tighten under his hand. Tylnae shivered under the touch as she watched him.

The absurdity wasn’t lost on Hux. Just hours ago, this situation would have bewildered and quite possibly terrified him. He likely wouldn’t have found himself here at all, would have just gone on appreciating Tylnae for her combat skills and nothing more. But after what he’d seen between Kylo Ren and his Jedi, after hours of mentally replaying the images of two strong bodies moving around and into one another… he needed this. And so did Tylnae, apparently. Her eyes, which had narrowed at his pause, widened as Hux bent and licked a slow line up her stomach.

He’d seen how Ren made the Jedi squirm and moan. It was a different kind of power, one that he was suddenly eager to test. And so he kept his own clothes on, moving over Tylnae with his hands and lips and tongue, finally stripping her bare and following the script that the Supreme Leader had unknowingly supplied for him, until the stormtrooper captain - one of the fiercest soldiers in all his forces - was writhing beneath him, whimpering and begging for more. And he loved all of it… the feel and taste of her, the pounding of his own arousal, the echo of her cries off the high steel walls.

His fingers were inside her as she came, and he savored the clench of muscles as he pinned her down with his free hand until the spasms slowed. But as he slowly withdrew, Hux suddenly felt unsure. She was finished - (wasn’t she?) - and he was still fully clothed. Ren and the Jedi had mostly disrobed together. Would it be presumptuous of him to now-

“General…” Tylnae flashed him a knowing look before - gods above - turning over onto her hands and knees. The intent couldn’t be more clear, and Hux was crowding behind her and unbuckling his belt before he even thought about moving. He allowed himself just a moment to run his hands over her full ass before he lined himself up, drew a shaking breath, and pushed in.

“Oh, fuck-” The muscles in Tylnae’s shoulders strained as she rocked back onto him. Hux felt his mind spiral out of control; he barely knew what he was doing because all the blood had rushed to his groin and this just felt so impossibly good that he didn’t want to think at all anyway. So he grabbed her hips and just moved, matching the rhythm she set with long, hard thrusts. He looked down at where they were joined, slowing just for a moment to savor the sight of himself disappearing into her. It was impossible that this was happening, that he’d been missing this all along… this incredible heat and wetness and the unbelievable sensation of it.

He towered over her in this position, so he found himself bending forward to brace one hand on the floor as the other wrapped under her stomach. She grasped that hand with her own and guided it between her legs, showing him where to rub even as their pace increased. He used a knee to nudge her thighs further apart; much of his weight was on her now but she was strong enough to take it. Hux’s arms began to tremble, and he felt himself teetering right on an edge. His head dropped, and he bit the skin on the back of her neck, hard. Tylnae cried out as she began to tighten and shake again, her arms finally giving out as he pushed her into the mat and fell on top of her with a final, blinding thrust that shook him to his core.

*

The door to Hux’s quarters slid shut with a quiet hiss, and he took a moment to lean back against it and close his eyes, exhaustion pulling at him from every angle. He felt both outside of his body and coiled tightly within it. He was starving and thirsty, but he was also sated in a way that was both unprecedented and exquisite. His rooms were too quiet. He looked around them and briefly wondered why everything seemed… different.

His comlink beeped, and he fished it from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and thumbed it on. “What is it?”

“General Hux.” Lieutenant Paze wasn’t getting any sleep tonight, either. “I’ve pinpointed their location to the planet Chal Hudda in the Outer Rim. And if you haven’t already, I suggest you revisit our current operation, sir.”

“Copy.” Forcibly redirecting his thoughts, Hux retrieved the datapad from his wardrobe and activated the transmission. The surveillance droid hadn’t moved, but Ren and the Jedi had woken up. Partially. The girl still had her eyes closed and was lying on her side. Ren pressed up behind her, running his hands below the blanket that covered them both. Hux watched as Ren gripped her thigh and lifted it up and back over his hip. Her eyes didn’t open, but her hands clenched the pillow as he pushed against her - pushed into her, presumably - and they began slowly, lazily rocking together.

This time Hux just smiled at the sensations that washed over him as he watched. Now that he had a point of reference, this was more… interesting, somehow. He found himself watching Ren rather than the girl. The bunching muscles, the unguarded expressions, the quiet grunts and moans. Hux didn’t bother chastising himself for enjoying it. He was well aware of what he found alluring. Power. Strength. Dominance. And here it all was, on lurid display. Ren was gentle with the girl, but there was no denying who was controlling whom as Ren drove her face-down into the bedding, and all she could do was grasp at the sheets, panting, whimpering, and finally crying out.   
  
Their parting was swift. Hux understood why: the Supreme Leader was known to take these long flights, testing both the new starfighters and his own endurance. But there was a limit to how long was too long before questions would be asked. So he fought his own increasing fatigue, watching as they swiftly broke camp (there was a moment of panic when the surveillance droid briefly stuck in the shelter fabric as it collapsed) and said their goodbyes. Nothing was said, unfortunately, that was more incriminating that what had been recorded the night before. But… no matter. Hux had everything he needed. He waited until both the Tie Silencer and the Jedi’s ship were out of sight, then he activated the droid’s self-destruct mechanism. Immediately, the transmission winked out.

Hux typed a brief yet critical message to Lt. Paze before dragging himself to the fresher. He peeled off his clothes, which stuck to his skin with sweat and… other… fluids. Stepping into the shower, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and paused. His eyes tinged red with exhaustion, which was nothing new. But there was a fire there that he didn’t recognize. He wondered what Captain Tylnae saw in him, whether she was simply attracted to power as he was, or if there was something more. They’d parted with no promises, but he had no doubt that if he were to seek her out again - especially once he’d donned the mantle of Supreme Leader - she would be willing. He found he liked the simple feeling of anticipation when he thought of her.

Sleep was already rolling toward him when he finally collapsed into bed. Hux would allow Kylo Ren to return to the Finalizer, would allow him to think that tomorrow’s officers meeting would be routine. The trap had been set with precision, and it had been sprung flawlessly. Hux fell asleep smiling, and dreamed of breasts and muscles and ragged breathing in the dark.


	3. Chapter 3

  
The conference room filled slowly, the highest-ranking First Order officers arriving alone or in small groups, chatting quietly among themselves. Hux had come in early and now sat in his usual spot at one end of the long rectangular table. Lt. Paze, as always, stood behind him, against the wall.

Hux occupied himself with observing the others, deliberately trying to focus outside his own head. It was a trick he’d employed with Snoke… don’t appear too thoughtful or contemplative or - gods forbid - nervous. Don’t give the Force user in the room any reason to suspect anything. He needed to keep Kylo Ren out of his mind today. For a time, anyway.

He glanced up as Ren finally strode in, looking rested and bored. Everyone stood, Hux included, until the Supreme Leader was seated. As Hux settled back in his chair, he schooled his expression into his usual slightly annoyed yet obsequious look, knowing that Ren would expect and ignore it.

But then Ren fixed those dark eyes directly on him, and Hux’s breath caught for a moment before the other man spoke.

“Drongar. Report, General Hux.”

Hux exhaled quickly and launched into details of the previous day’s operation. He had the welcome distraction of Lewis Canady, sitting halfway down the table to his right, practically vibrating as he tried to interject his complaints about the stormtroopers’ handling of the mission. Hux repeatedly raised his voice to speak over Canady’s interruptions, until finally the junior officer just sat back, scowling. Although there was a hint of a smirk behind the scowl. Hux ignored it.

Once his report was complete the meeting dragged on, though every topic took on a new significance in Hux’s mind. Ren ordered that their liaison from Sienar-Jaemus Fleet Systems be summoned to go over his evaluations of the new Tie-Silencers (which would, Ren blandly reported, require several more and possibly longer test flights). They reviewed the surveillance of the nascent Resistance base on Lothal, where activity seemed to have slowed in the last several hours.

They had nearly wrapped up when Ren addressed the fleet commander in charge of the Outer Rim. “I want you to evacuate the Argazda base immediately. All personnel and equipment off-planet within twenty-four hours.”

The commander looked startled and seemed to await an explanation, but when none was forthcoming he simply bowed his head. “Yes, Supreme Leader.”

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Hux stole a glance back at Lt. Paze, who nodded slightly. Hux’s personal guard was in place in the corridor outside. He wouldn’t bring them in, yet. He left his standard datapad on the table as he reached under his coat to bring out his other-

“Supreme Leader!”

Hux had been about to speak, but he closed his mouth as Lewis Canady stood and braced his hands on the table. Kylo Ren, who’d been preparing to leave, turned slowly in his seat and fixed the junior officer with a glare. “Yes, Lieutenant?”

Canady’s eyes were wide as he looked around the table; he was clearly enjoying the attention. Hux clenched his teeth with annoyance. He sensed Lt. Paze shift behind him.

“Supreme Leader, fellow officers-” (here Hux saw Captain Peavy roll his eyes) “- one of our own is guilty of an egregious violation of the First Order code of conduct, a violation that already has compromised mission outcomes and will inevitably do so again.”

Hux stared in disbelief as low muttering broke out around the table. There was no way Canady could have intercepted his transmission. Could it be possible that this egotistical upstart was about to take credit for his-

Canady pointed a shaking finger in Hux’s direction. “General Hux, what do you have to say in your defense?”

Hux blinked as all eyes turned to him. He felt his face redden as his pulse sped up. “I… in my _defense_? Of _what_, exactly?”

Canady lifted his chin and nodded to a guard, who moved to open the door. “You have engaged in fraternization and sexual activity with stormtrooper Captain Tylnae, which is strictly forbidden by the Personnel Code of Conduct, section 114B, article-”

Loud coughing and even louder conversation erupted around the table as the other officers exclaimed in what might have been outrage or disbelief. Hux couldn’t exactly tell; he heard only the roaring in his own ears as Captain Tylnae was escorted into the room. She was dressed in full armor, minus her helmet. Her eyes flashed to his for the briefest moment before snapping straight ahead as she stood at attention.

Many of the officers present turned to gape at her, though some eyes remained on Hux. Captain Peavey stared at the table, his mouth fixed in a grim line. Hux chanced a glance at Kylo Ren. The Supreme Leader stared back at him, his gaze level, expressionless yet somehow intense. Hux looked away.

Canady’s voice had gone a bit shrill. “Captain Tylnae used the relationship to her advantage to escape repercussions from her failure on Drognar. Undoubtedly she has taken advantage of her intimate ties with the General to attain a position that-”

“Enough.” Hux stood as he finally found his voice, and the others around the table quieted immediately. Tylnae’s eyes slid to him again; he saw the fire blazing behind her neutral countenance. He understood her frustration… she couldn’t respond unless addressed directly. But he wouldn’t tolerate Lewis Canady impugning her character or suggesting that she achieved her position through untoward means.

“Lieutenant.” He turned to the younger man and filled his voice with concentrated venom. “I would like to know on what proof you base these accusations.”

Canady smirked and fiddled with his datapad. “I have my sources.” He paused, eyes gleaming. “Shall I produce holographic evidence? Or would you prefer to confess and save yourself the embarrassment?”

Hux breathed through his rage. This was supposed to have been his moment. He was the one with incriminating surveillance and an agenda. He looked again toward Kylo Ren, who was now staring… not at him. The Supreme Leader’s eyes were fixed on Lt. Canady, and there was murder in that gaze.

Canady was oblivious. “Well? _General?_” His glee was barely contained.

Hux locked his spine. He would not cower or lie… not to this scheming, sniveling underling. He raised his voice. “I do NOT deny that Captain Tylnae and I had an… encounter.” He glanced over and saw her eyes narrow slightly, though in anger or amusement, he couldn’t tell. “But I fully deny that she has used our ‘relationship,’ as you call it, to her advantage in any way.” He saw the corner of her lip quirk almost imperceptibly. “In any way that impacts First Order operations,” he amended, and one of the other officers coughed in a way that might have been covering a laugh. Canady opened his mouth, but Hux leaned forward, cutting him off. “And THAT is all I have to say on the matter, Lieutenant. Anything else is unquestionably none of your business.” He sat back down and held Canady’s stare.

The junior officer had turned a bit red, and he looked away first, glancing down the table to gauge the reactions of the others before starting again. “I think we can agree that regulations-”

Kylo Ren held up a hand, and Canady immediately went silent, as people tended to do when that black-gloved hand went up. They all looked at the Supreme Leader expectantly.

Ren studied Hux for a long moment, then leaned back in his seat before turning his attention to Tylnae. “Captain.”

Her eyes were straight ahead again, as was protocol when addressing a commander. “Yes, Supreme Leader.”

Ren pressed his lips together as a small sigh escaped through his nose. Hux, even through the haze of his anger, realized he’d become more attuned to Ren’s tells and expressions since viewing the transmission. He noted the way Ren gripped the edge of the table tightly, the way he chewed the inside of his cheek while thinking.

“This… relationship,” Ren finally said, his eyes fixed on Tylnae. “Is consensual?”

The trooper’s expression was set in stone. “Yes, sir.”

“You have not been coerced or blackmailed in any way?”

“Not at all, sir.”

Another sigh, this one more audible. “Fine. The matter is closed. Dismissed, Captain.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Canady was jumping out of his seat even before Tylnae turned on her heel and strode out of the room. Hux knew his own mouth was hanging open, but before he could think of what to say, Kylo Ren was addressing the rest of the officers. “Anything else? No? Good.” He stood and pushed back his chair. “Then this meeting is-”

“General Hux, sir?”

Hux blinked, and it took him a moment to register that Lt. Paze was speaking. The others, including Kylo Ren, paused and looked toward them.

Hux’s stomach tightened. This was the cue. They’d arranged it ahead of time. If there wasn’t an opening for Hux to present his evidence during the meeting, Paze was to prompt him with-

“Sir, you were going to detail your operation on Chal Hudda.”

The air in the room seemed to shift as Hux stared down at the table, not daring to lift his eyes. He felt a heaviness around him that he recognized as directed currents of the Force. He waited, counting his breaths, wondering if each one would be his last.

“Sir?” Lt. Paze’s voice had an edge to it. The plan was for Hux to call in his guards immediately, then present his evidence. If Ren took a moment to think, he would realize that Hux would have a backup, a failsafe. If he took a moment to think. If he didn’t, Hux had just seconds to live.

But those seconds ticked by with no phantom pressure against his windpipe. Finally Hux dared to look up. Kylo Ren had frozen in place, half out of his chair, his eyes fixed on some spot on the floor. Slowly, too slowly, his gaze lifted and met Hux’s. The brown in his eyes had disappeared, fully engulfed by black.

“Chal Hudda?” Captain Peavey tapped at his datapad, oblivious to the fuse that had been lit in the room. “I don’t recall mention of a mission to-”

“A mistake.” Hux was amazed that he was able to find his voice. That his tone sounded almost normal. “Expeditionary, based on a false lead.” His eyes still held Ren’s across the table. “There is nothing to report.”

Paze was practically sputtering behind him. “But… General-”

“Thank you, Lieutenant. That will be all.”

The other officers, muttering, pushed back their chairs and began to make their way out. Hux remained in his seat, though he turned toward Paze and jerked his chin toward the exit. The lieutenant opened his mouth, then closed it again before ducking his head and stalking out. Hux thought he heard a commotion in the corridor, but then the door closed, leaving him alone with Kylo Ren.

Ren had settled back in his seat, his casual posture offset by the tempest on his face. One of his hands had clenched in a fist on the table; as Hux watched, it gradually relaxed.

It struck Hux, suddenly, that he’d spent more time in the company of this man than any other person since he was a child, with the possible exception of Phasma. And though that proximity had not fostered a closeness, it had led to an odd sort of - understanding. There was a sense of inevitability in this moment… the two of them had been headed toward a reckoning since Snoke had died.

“So,” he said, managing his usual sneer with some effort. “We come to it, at last.”

Ren just stared at him, drumming his fingers on the tabletop. Finally… “I assume you’ve taken precautions?” The tone was conversational; one could almost pretend they weren’t both plotting murder in their hearts.

“I have indeed.”

A beat of silence, then, “I should kill you right now.”

Hux hated the flash of terror he felt at that, hated that nothing he could say or do would instill that same fear in the man sitting across from him. Still he replied, “And you’d be dead soon after, once your treason becomes known.”

“I hope you’re not relying entirely on Lt. Paze for that.”

“He is a competent-”

“Paze is dead.”

Hux blinked, then his gaze fell to that black-gloved hand that rested on the table. The one that had been clenched into a fist immediately after the other officers had left the room.

It was that quick, that effortless. Hux did truly hate the Force, never more than in that moment. He again lifted his eyes to Ren’s, well aware that the stink of his terror now infused the space between them. He cleared his throat. “I have other-”

“I’m sure you do.”

Hux breathed, his mind racing with cold clarity, until it settled on a question. “Why not do it, then?” His voice was barely a whisper, though it seemed magnified in the empty room. “Why not kill me and be done with it?”

Ren didn’t give him an immediate answer; it appeared that he was seriously considering the question. Finally, a small shrug. “You have your talents, General Hux.”

Silence fell as the two men regarded each other. Hux felt his adrenaline begin to ebb, his subconscious realizing that the immediate threat was over. But he couldn’t let this go. Not without getting something out of it.

“I want to be Grand Admiral,” he said quietly. Snoke had only laughed when he’d requested the promotion. “I’ve long since earned the title.”

But Kylo Ren never laughed, not even to mock. “Agreed.” He leaned forward, and though several meters still separated them, Hux sat back quickly. “And whatever operation you conducted on Chal Hudda will not be repeated.”

A visual flashed through Hux’s mind: this man, stripped down, sweating and groaning. Such a contrast - yet not - to the intense, black-clad figure before him. He watched Ren’s shoulders rise and fall as he breathed. He watched those dark eyes narrow in mild confusion at whatever he observed on Hux’s face.

Hux stood, a small smile playing on his lips. “If that is your order, sir.”

The words were practically growled. “It is.”

Hux - _Grand Admiral_ Hux - strode toward the door. His eyes swept boldly over Kylo Ren as he passed.

“My talents, Supreme Leader,” he murmured as he left, “are at your disposal.”

  
THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, readers, for coming along with this crazy little fic. I'm still not sure what flash of madness inspired it, but now that I read it again, I think it's kinda fun. Please, any feedback is much appreciated!


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